The business of panel manufacturing is a multi-billion dollar industry fueled by a worldwide construction market and driven by new technologies. One of the existing players,

Ontario-based materials company, Cymat Technologies Ltd., will begin servicing a significant portion of this multi-billion dollar industry. The company, which manufactures and licenses Stabilized Aluminum Foam (SAF), has been approached by billion-dollar player Alucoil SA – a large Spanish panel manufacturer – to produce a superior panel as part of a joint partnership.

Alucoil is a multinational company with factories on four continents, specializing in the manufacturing of advanced materials for building, transportation and industrial applications. A massive player in the industry, Alucoil North America has US$300 million plus in annual sales and transforms over 100,000 tons of aluminum annually.

Plans are already in the works to build a 500,000 square meter capacity production facility in Spain with initial foam panel production to be completed at Cymat Technologies’ Canadian plant. Cymat Technologies’ existing Toronto plant can already manufacture approximately $50 million in product annually.

The company is looking to complete final testing and move toward commercial production, which is anticipated on or before the second quarter of this year.

Executives at Alucoil say they were first attracted to Cymat Technologies and its SAF panels for the high-quality, fire-retardant characteristics of the material. In fact, Alucoil has already invested millions of dollars in its joint venture with Cymat Technologies.

The new Alucoil/Cymat panel is expected to be a superior product that will provide outstanding strength and a high fire rating relevant to the construction, marine, rail, airplane and elevator industries.

Grenfell Tower Fire

Leaders at both companies had an interest to develop the superior panels after being influenced by the June 2017 tragic fire at London’s Grenfell Tower, where 72 people lost their lives after becoming trapped in the burning building. Within minutes, the fire had raced up the exterior of the building and then spread to all four sides. The fire was accelerated by flammable adhesives and a plastic core contained in the building’s cladding.

Experts said the composite material used to build Grenfell Tower incorporated a highly combustible polyethylene polymer filler which melts, drips, and flows at an elevated temperature.

This tragic event has spurred the construction communities and regulators in Europe to come up with a solution and to introduce stricter building requirements that include improved, more fire resistant materials.

Cymat Technologies’ Alusion™ Division

Alusion™is a division of Cymat Technologies and was established to bring the company’s unique Stabilized Aluminum Foam (SAF) technology specifically to the architectural and design markets.

While the Alusion™ panels are known for their safety properties, the strong yet lightweight panels are also aesthetically pleasing. Similar in appearance to a metallic sponge, the panels are visually striking with a modern look. In addition, the panels have sound-absorbing properties, making them ideal for applications requiring sound -dampening. They are used for facades, wall cladding, ceiling tiles or dropped ceilings, restaurants, bars, offices, apartment buildings, Terrazzo flooring, and much more.

ArchDaily, one of the most widely-read web-based architecture publications, awarded the Caixa Forum Sevilla in Spain as its 2018 Building of the Year. ArchDaily is visited by 13.6 million visitors per month and since the inclusion of AlusionTM in the site, the division has leveraged over 7,000 contacts with the international architectural community in its first 10 months of participation.

The AlusionTMpage now gets over 25 hits per day and has exceeded ArchDaily’s benchmark by 218%, adding significantly to the division’s revenue and growth.

The impact of ArchDaily and other recent initiatives have been monumental to the marketing efforts of AlusionTM and have paved the way for the recruitment and hiring of additional staff to support the company’s rapid growth.

In addition to applications in the architectural and construction industry, Cymat’s technologies also have military, automotive and industrial applications, with a large pipeline of contracts currently in negotiation in these respective industries.

Disclaimer: This content does not necessarily represent the views of IWB.